Caloosahatchee and Okeechobee Conditions Report

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Updated: 2023-06-10 06:59:00 EDT

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Purpose

This webpage/report is intended to aggregate information from different agencies (i.e. USACE, SFWMD, FWC, USGS and NOAA) into one spot to help inform local government agencies and stakeholders on conditions within Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary and Coastal southwest Florida. The data provided here should be considered preliminary and are subject to change.

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USACE Data Summary

Daily discharge volume in Acre-Feet per day for the last 14-days. Data Source: USACE
Date	S77	S78	S79	S310	S351	S352	S354	L8	S308	S80	NthLake 1	WCA1	WCA2	WCA3	ENP 2
06-09	0	3981	7426	14	0	0	0	16	0	515	2267	1607	1563	1244	1,551.074
06-08	0	3998	7395	-8	0	0	0	-101	0	37	1692	1511	1712	1373	1,799.007
06-07	0	3911	7749	-95	0	0	0	-127	0	36	2733	2120	1811	1607	1,795.040
06-06	0	4452	7454	-237	0	0	0	-226	0	49	3592	2164	1492	1674	1,509.421
06-05	0	4582	8825	-285	0	0	0	-426	0	35	3907	2342	1073	1037	1,243.636
06-04	0	3806	5861	-392	0	0	0	-395	0	39	3412	2592	1029	1061	1,233.718
06-03	0	5180	7666	-457	0	0	0	-198	0	42	1351	2214	899	1006	1,267.437
06-02	0	4207	5689	-460	0	0	0	-103	0	50	982	2015	708	857	1,443.966
06-01	2614	3298	5821	-350	0	0	0	-52	0	44	756	1652	528	367	1,644.297
05-31	3431	3600	4886	-101	0	0	0	-44	0	525	682	1638	270	706	1,505.454
05-30	1843	3101	4601	-117	0	0	0	-202	0	48	815	1559	266	1021	1,330.908
05-29	95	1874	3092	-63	0	0	0	-226	0	904	1287	1970	-40	837	1,275.371
05-28	228	1972	3224	-268	0	0	0	-216	0	46	2162	1531	-272	1248	1,267.437
1 Includes discharges from Fisheating Creek, S71, S72, S84, S84X, S65E, and S65EX1
2 Estimated as S12s+(S333+S333N)-S356. If no data is present (i.e. -NR-) either S12s, S333s or S356 data is not available.

Download Discharge as .xlsx

Average and total net discharge volume in Acre-Feet per day for the last 7-days. Data Source: USACE
Statistic	S77	S78	S79	S310	S351	S352	S354	L8	S308	S80	NthLake	WCA1	WCA2	WCA3	ENP
Average	0	4273	7482	-209	0	0	0	-208	0	108	2708	2079	1368	1286	1,485.619
Total	0	29910	52376	-1460	0	0	0	-1458	0	753	18954	14551	9578	9001	10,399.333

Average and total net discharge volume in Acre-Feet per day for the last 14-days. Data Source: USACE
Statistic	S77	S78	S79	S310	S351	S352	S354	L8	S308	S80	NthLake	WCA1	WCA2	WCA3	ENP
Average	632	3689	6130	-217	0	0	0	-177	0	182	1972	1917	849	1080	1,451.29
Total	8212	47962	79689	-2819	0	0	0	-2301	0	2370	25638	24916	11038	14037	18,866.77

Caloosahatchee Conditions Summary: Flow to the Caloosahatchee Estuary had a 7-day average of 3,772 cfs at S-79 with a 7-day average of 0 cfs (0%) coming from the lake at S-77. The 14-day moving average flow at S-79 is 2,953 cfs and has been in the damaging flow envelope (> 2600 cfs; RECOVER 2020) for 4 days.

Lake Flows: In the past 7 days the total outflow from Lake Okeechobee was 30 AF with 0 AF to the Caloosahatchee through S-77, 14 AF through S-310 in Clewiston, and 0 AF to the EAA through S-351, S-352, and S-354. The total net inflow to the Lake was 21,902 AF (18,954 AF from Fisheating Creek, S-71, S-72, S-84s, S-65EX, and S-65EX1) with a total backflow volume of 2,948 AF from S310 and C10A. Water conservation areas received flows of 14,551 AF, 9,578 AF, and 9,001 AF at WCA1, WCA2, and WCA3, respectively. Everglades National Park received 10,399 AF.

Lake Okeechobee Level: 14.02 ft (Operational Management Band)

Lake Okeechobee Inflow: 1253 cfs

Last Week: 13.94 ft

Lake Okeechobee Outflow: 0 cfs

Weekly Rainfall Total:

WP Franklin ≥ 0.43”

Ortona ≥ 3.20”

Moore Haven ≥ 1.04”

Download Rainfall as .xlsx ACOE Daily Report 7-day Mean Discharge (cfs)

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Lake Okeechobee

Stage Elevation

Lake Okeechobee daily average stage elevation for water year 2024 (WY2024) relative to the last two water years (red line) relative to the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule (LORS) .

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Stage and recession rates this time for the current and last three water years
Date (Month-Day)	Water Year	Stage (ft, NGVD29)	7-Day Recession Rate (ft 7-d⁻¹)	30-Day Recession Rate (ft 30-d⁻¹) B
06-09	2021	12.10	0.62	0.90
06-09	2022	12.65	-0.13	-1.06
06-09	2023	12.78	0.19	-0.03
06-09	2024	14.01 A	0.07	-0.05
A Value estimated from average stage height across L001, L005, L006, LZ40, S133TW, S352HW & S4TW
B -0.5 ft 30-d⁻¹ maximum 30-day Recession Rate for HAB Deviation

• As of 06/09/2023 the mean stage elevation in Lake Okeechobee is within the Operational Low Sub- Management Band at a stage elevation of 14.01 feet (NGVD29).

Lake Okeechobee 7-day and 30-day water level recession/ascension rates during WY2024. Negative values indicate falling water levels (recession) and positive values indicate raising water level (ascension) during this 7-day period .

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Lake Okeechobee 7-day water level recession/ascension rates stop-light metric relative to the draft Snail Kite Performance Measure.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

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Regional Rainfall

Weekly (06/03 - 06/09) rainfall totals along the Caloosahatchee River
Mointoring Location 1	Weekly Rainfall Total (inches) 2
S79 (WP Franklin)	0.4
S78 (Ortona)	3.5
S77 (Moore Haven)	1.0
1 Data Source: SFWMD DBHYDRO (DBKEYS 16414,15495,16415) and USACE reports
2 Based on data from 06/03/2023 - 06/09/2023

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Relative Algae Condition

Sonde monitoring locations within Lake Okeechobee conducted by SFWMD.

Daily Chlorophyll, Phycocyanin,relative ratio of Phycocyanin (Phyco) relative to Phyco and Chlorophyll (Chl) and Turbidity within Lake Okeechobee monitored by SFWMD. Chlorophyll and Phycocyanin are plotted on log-scale. Thresholds of concern/risk identified for Chlorophyll (20 and 40 μg/L) and Phycocyanin (40 μg/L; Cotterill et al 2019 & Macário et al 2015).

Data are provisional and subject to change.

• Cotterill et al (2019) Phycocyanin sensors as an early warning system for cyanobacteria blooms concentrations: a case study in the Rotorua lakes. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 53:555–570.
• Macário et al (2015) New insights towards the establishment of phycocyanin concentration thresholds considering species-specific variability of bloom-forming cyanobacteria. Hydrobiologia 757:155–165.

Weekly mean water quality sonde Chlorophyll and Phycocyanin concentration at monitoring locations across Lake Okeechobee
Site	7-day Mean Chlorophyll Conc. (μg L⁻¹) 1	7-day Mean Phycocyanin Conc. (μg L⁻¹) 1	Green Algal Concern Category 2	Blue-green Algae Concern Category 3
L001	103	5	High Concern	Min. Concern
L005	75	62	High Concern	High Concern
L006		24		Min. Concern
LZ40	8	20	Min. Concern	Min. Concern
POLESOUT1	31	13	Warning	Min. Concern
POLESOUT3	16	24	Min. Concern	Min. Concern
1 Based on data from 06/04/2023 - 06/10/2023
2 Chlorophyll Categories: Min. Concern: values < 20 μg L⁻¹ Warning: values ≥ 20μg L⁻¹ and <40 μg L⁻¹ High Concern: values ≥ 40 μg L⁻¹
3 Phycocyanin Categories: Min. Concern: values < 40 μg L⁻¹ High Concern: values ≥ 40 μg L⁻¹

Algae Coverage

Cyanobacteria Index for Lake Okeechobee for 2023-06-09 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)

Average daily windspeed and direction and cyanobacteria algal bloom coverage of Lake Okeechobee. Data from NOAA NCCOS HAB data explorer.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Blue-Green Algae Sampling Results

Blue-green Algae sampling results for the last 30-days for the 10 county area (Lee, Collier, Hendry, Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe). Data from FDEP Blue-green algae dashboard

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Of the 105 samples collected, cyanobacteria was dominate in 84 samples, 51 samples had toxins present ranging from 0.11 to 50 μg L⁻¹ (does not include non-detects).

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Caloosahatchee River Estuary

Discharge

Fort Myers Yacht Basin salinity (SCCF-RECON) and S79 discharge (SFWMD) data for the last six months.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Fort Myers Yacht Basin salinity (SCCF-RECON) and S79 discharge (SFWMD) data for the last last 30 days.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

S-77 (from Lake Okeechobee) and S-79 (to Tidal Basin) flow data along the C-43 and Caloosahatchee River. C-43 Basin Flow was calculated as the difference from S-77 and S-79.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Daily, 14-day moving average and 30-day moving average discharge for S-79 relative to the Northern Estuaries RECOVER performance measure and the established minimium flows and levels (MFLs) for the recent 6-month period.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Daily, 14-day moving average and 30-day moving average discharge for S-79 relative to the Northern Estuaries RECOVER performance measure and the established minimium flows and levels (MFLs) for the recent 30-day period.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

• As of Jun 09, discharges conditions are within the NA RECOVER salinity envelope.

Cumulative discharge for S-79 (to Tidal Basin) and S-77 (from Lake Okeechobee) for the last three Florida Water Years (May - April). Day of water year is analogous to day of year with Day 1 = May 1^st.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Estuary Salinity

Daily average bottom salinity data for the last 14-days from sampling locations within the tidal Caloosahatchee River Estuary relative to oyster health (Sanibel, Shell Point and Cape Coral) and tape grass (Vallisneria americana) health (Ft. Myers only) conditions.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Red Tide Abundance

Red tide sampling results for the last 30-days from just south of Tampa Bay to the Florida Keys. Data from NOAA HABSOS Program.Data are provisional and subject to change.

Red tide sampling results for the last 30-days from just south of Tampa Bay to the Florida Keys. Data from NOAA HABSOS Program

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Count of samples within each abundance category within the greater Caloosahatchee River Estuary (see grey box on map)
Cell Abundance (Cells L⁻¹)	Number of Samples
not present/background (0-1,000)	19
very low (>1,000-10,000)	1
low (>10,000-100,000)	---
medium (>100,000-1,000,000)	---
high (>1,000,000)	---

Chlorophyll fluorescence for coastal southwest Florida for 2023-06-09 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)

Red Tide Forecast

Red Tide Prediction and Tracking for coastal Southwest Florida from FWC and USF link.

Upper and lower water column HAB (Red Tide) forecasted trajectories from Ocean Circulation Group at USF.

Statewide Gulf of Mexico coastal Red Tide forecast from FWC and USF.

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Charlotte Harbor

Discharge

Daily discharge into Charlotte Harbor from major rivers and creeks. Data source: USGS. Grey dashed lines between points indicate a potential data gap with values linearly interpolated.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

 

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